Dump-car-door latching mechanism



May s, '1923. 1,454,786

D. HlNDAHL DUMP CAR DOOR LATCHING MECHANISM Filed July 5, 1922 Patented May 3, 1923.

1, ifi-i3. 'i

, rasant @WEGE DAVID -HINISAHL on CI-IICAGfo, ILLJINoIsVAs'sIGNoR To y:NATIONAL :DUMP CAR" Y CoMrANY, on CHICAGO, ILLrNoIs, A CORPORATION on MAINE. l. .i y

i 'nuirr-CAn-Doon LATCHING .MECHANISMQ l' Application inea July 3 T 0 lll w/ iom it may] concern.'

Beit known .thatfL DAVID' HINDAHL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chi# cago, in the county ofCoolnand'wState of Il'linois,fhave invented certain new and'uwse-A ful Improvements'in Dump-CarDoor Latching Mechanism,r of which the followingis a specification.

This inventionv relates to latches for locking the doors lof dump cars, and particularly to latches comprising a pair of oppositely acting pivoted members, and means through which these members can be swung into and out of latching relation to the door by an operator standing .at a vantage point outside the path of the lading on discharge. The object of the invention is to provide a simple, eficient and durable construction for 'the purposes stated; and, accordingly, the invention consists in uniting two pivoted latches by a thrust bar or link which forces them to act simultaneously in moving to and from latching position, and providing on one of the latches, a leverage extension preferably comprising a socket integral with the latch, and a lever arm releasably fitted in said socket, through means of which both latches may beoperated; the thrust bar or link being preferably connected with the lever-actuated latch on theopposite side of the pivot from its connection with the other latch so that the latches vare moved oppositely; and a locking dog movable into and out of dogging relation to one of the latches being, through the medium of the thrust bar t or link, rendered controlling as to the other` latch, as well.

In the accompanying drawing, in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of illustration Figure 1 is a side elevation of the latching mechanism together with the portions of a dump car with which it is immediately concerned;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the latching mechanism on an enlarged scale, in unlatching position; and i Figure 3 is a top plan view of parts shown in Figure 2.

1 represents the side of a dump car, and 2 the projecting portions of a drop door thereon, which projecting portions are to be en-l gaged by latches for the purpose of releasably' holding them in elevated position. 3 and 4 represent a pair of latches pivoted, re-

laas. serial n.V 572,427.

spectively, at 5y and 6 so that they are adapt# ed to move into and out `of latching relation with the projections 2.

. 7 ,represents a pivotal locking dog mounted' inpositi'on yto permit its 'camming surface S to wedge against the back Iof one'l ofthe latches,. preferably latch. 3', `and having ay stud 9*'b'y which it may be displaced toand from itsv clogging i position of rest upon the stop 10. t

In order to cause 'the latches 3 and 4 to position y'and its neutral move simultaneously,'to and from latching t t position, and to bring both latches under control of the single locking dog 7, a thrust bar or coupling link 11 is pivoted tothe latch 3 at 12.between its pivot 5 andlatching end 3a, and to the latch 4 at the point 13 whichis on the opposite side of the'pivot 5 y from the latching end y4'. Consequently, movement of either latch to or from, latch-I ing position will enforce a like movement in* the other latch, and doggingV one latch against movement will, indirectly, dog the other latch. t 1

In order that the movement of the latches 3 and 4 maybe controlled with force from a vantage point away from the path of discharging cargo, latch 4 is provided with an operating arm 14 extending therefrom with suflicient offset from its pivot 6 to render the control easy and this arm is preferably l united with the latch through the medium` of a Socket memberl 15 which renders the arm removable from the latch. Socket member 15, or the arm, if the ylatter were integral with the latch, in the construction shown, affords a properly offsetv extension to receive the pivot 13 of the connecting link 11. Pref-` n y erably, the socket 15 will be in a lplane offset outward from the `plane of the bearing for y pivot 13. y e e lIt will be seen that coupling link 11 as well as the socket 15 is related to the latches 3 and 4 ina manner to add weight to thaty of the latches in the direction of latching movement, thereby increasing the safety of the device in the event of the locking dog 7 being neglected.

I claim:

1. In combination with a dump car door, latching mechanism comprising a pair of pivoted latches, and a coupling link connected with said latches and adapted to insure like movements in them; said latches being presented 1n opposite d1rections; and

said link being connected to them on opposite sides of their pivots.

2. In combination with a dump car door, a pair of pivoted latches for releasably engaging said door, 'a coupling link uniting said latches and adapted to enforceidentical movements in them, and a controlling arm mounted upon and rigidly extending `from one of said latches and Jforming therewith a lever the 'fulcrum of which is the pivot of the latch.

3. ln combination with ya dump car door, acpair oit latches for releasably engaging said door, a coupling link uniting said latches and adapted to enforce identical movements in them,and a contro-lling socket extending from one of said latches in adirection to lurge the latch toward latching position by the ygravitation of the socket.

0 t. In combinationwith. a dump car door,

a pair of latches for releasably engaging said door, a coupling link uniting said latches and adapted to enforce identical vmovements in them, and a controlling arm extending from one of said latche's;'said latches being presented in opposite directions, said arm providing an extension' from its latch on the opposite side of the pivot from th'e latching end, ,and said coupling link being connected to the arm carrying link through the medium of said extension. 5. In combination with a dump car door, latching mechanism comprising a pairof 0ppositely swinging latches, and a 'coupling link connected with said latches and adaptedy to insure o posite movements i`1i"them. n

`Signed at hicago,lllinois, thisl 16th day of June,'1922.

DAVID HINDAHL.) 

